Methods and apparatus for implementing transmissive display devices

ABSTRACT

Energy efficient transmissive and transreflective display devices are described. Ambient light from a natural or artificial source is used to replace and/or supplement light normally supplied by a backlight. This is done by directing ambient light to the rear of a transmissive display panel. A window, light tunnel, or a reflective surface located in the rear or top of a display device may be used to direct the ambient light to the back of the display panel. A translucent diffuser and/or diffuse reflector are used to diffuse the ambient light to reduce the chance of bright spots appearing on the display. Additional energy efficiency is achieved by using one or more photo-sensors to detect the amount of light, incident on the front and/or rear of a display panel and by automatically adjusting the backlight intensity as a function of photo-sensor output. In this manner, backlight intensity can be minimized while maintaining the viewability of images shown on the display. In such an embodiment, energy savings are achieved as compared to devices which use fixed backlight intensity settings in a variety of light conditions. Control of the power supplied to a display&#39;s backlight in accordance with the present invention can reduce electrical energy consumption and prolong the amount of time a portable device can be used before its batteries need to be recharged.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of application Ser. No.09/299,521, filed Apr. 26, 1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,795,137. Thisapplication is related to U.S. patent application LCD WITH POWER SAVINGFEATURES Ser. No. 09/299,522, filed Apr. 26, 1999.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for implementingdisplay devices and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus forreducing the amount of electrical power required by display devices,e.g., transmissive and/or transreflective liquid crystal display (LCD)devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Displays are found in numerous commercial and consumer devices. Becauseof various physical characteristics, flat panel displays tend to befavored over cathode ray tube (CRT) displays in many applications wheresize, weight and/or power consumption is of concern.

Flat panel displays, including e.g., liquid crystal display (LCD)devices come in many different sizes. Small LCD devices are used inapplications ranging from calculators and wristwatches to point-of-saleterminals and gas pumps. Larger LCD devices are found in portablecomputers, desktop computer displays, and numerous other devices.

Known LCDs are frequently implemented as reflective, transmissive, ortransflective devices. A reflective LCD, as the name implies, usesreflection to illuminate the display. FIG. 1 illustrates a knownreflective LCD 102. The reflective LCD 102 includes a closed housing 109which contains a liquid crystal cell 104 and a reflector 110. A screen105 made of, e.g., glass, is used to seal the front of the closedhousing 109. Light from an external light source 106 passes through thescreen 105, liquid crystal cell 104 and is then reflected back towardsthe eye 108 by the reflector 110 located behind the liquid crystal cell104. The liquid crystal cell includes, for example, front and rearpolarizers with a layer of liquid crystal material sandwiched therebetween. The light absorptive characteristics of the liquid crystal cellare varied by changing an electric field applied to the layer of liquidcrystal material. Thus, by varying an electric field images may bedisplayed on the LCD 102 and perceived by a viewer represented by theeye 108.

Reflective LCDs are generally the least expensive type of LCD and usethe least amount of power. Reflective LCDs rely on ambient, e.g.,external natural or artificial light sources for illumination.Accordingly, reflective LCDs do not include a backlight. Such displaysoperate satisfactory in well lit locations. However, because they lackan internal light source they are difficult to read in low lightconditions which are often encountered indoors. For this reason,reflective displays have not found wide spread use in portable computersor other devices which may need to be used in low light conditions.

Transmissive LCDs such as transmissive LCD 103, illustrated in FIG. 2,use an internal light source 107, referred to as a backlight, forillumination. In the transmissive LCD 103, the backlight 107 is enclosedin an opaque housing 110 behind the liquid crystal cell 104 and displayscreen 105. Light from the backlight 107 passes through the liquidcrystal cell 104 and display screen 105 before being perceived by aviewer, represented by the eye 108. Since the housing 110 is opaque,natural and/or ambient light from behind the housing is prevented fromentering the liquid crystal cell from the rear of the housing.

Transmissive displays are well suited for use indoors under artificiallighting. For this reason, transmissive LCDs are frequently used in,e.g., portable computers and lab instruments. One drawback totransmissive displays is that they consume a relatively high amount ofpower due to the use of the backlight. In portable devices such asbattery powered notebook computers, minimizing power consumption isimportant. Power consumption by the backlight is a major factor indetermining the amount of time portable computers can be used betweenrecharges.

Many portable computers include a brightness control which allows theintensity of the backlight used in a transmissive display to be manuallyadjusted by a system user. While manually adjusting the displaybrightness to the minimum setting which is acceptable to the user for aparticular set of room conditions can maximize the time before thecomputer needs recharging, users are not accustomed to adjusting thebrightness of their displays each time they move to a different room orambient lighting conditions change. To allow for a transmissive displayto be used in a wide range of conditions, the brightness of the displayis normally set to a value which exceeds the brightness required fornormal room conditions, e.g., so that the display can be used in higherthan normal lighting conditions without having to adjust the brightness.Unfortunately, such intensity settings tend to waste power which, asdiscussed above, is a limited resource in the context of most portabledevices.

Since the amount of power delivered by batteries is often a function oftheir size and thus weight, it is desirable to minimize powerconsumption requirements in portable devices to allow for longer periodsof use between battery recharges and/or the use of smaller, lighter,batteries. It is desirable that any methods and apparatus directed topower conservation be at least partially automated so that a user neednot make display adjustments each time lighting conditions change.

In addition to relatively high power consumption, another disadvantageof the known transmissive LCD 103 is that such displays are usually hardto read in direct sunlight. The difficulty in reading such displays indirect sunlight arises from the fact that incident sunlight reflectedfrom the display screen 105 can be quite bright compared to theintensity of the light, originating from the backlight 107.

While some manufacturers of transmissive LCDs have incorporated highoutput backlight to enable out of doors use of transmissive displays,the relatively high power consumption of such devices renders themunsuitable for most battery powered applications.

Another type of known LCD device is the transflective LCD 111illustrated in FIG. 3. Transflective LCD 111 combines features of thereflective and transmissive LCDs discussed above. As illustrated, atransflective LCD 111 includes a liquid crystal cell 104, partiallytransmissive reflector 116 and a backlight 107. The transflectivedisplay components are enclosed in an opaque housing 114 which is sealedin the front with a screen 105. Behind the screen 105 is the liquidcrystal cell 104, transmissive reflector 116 and backlight 107. Becausethe housing 114 is opaque, it prevents external, e.g., natural orambient light from entering from the rear of the housing.

In the transmissive display 111, the reflector is normally a white orsilver translucent material that reflects some of the ambient lightentering from the front, i.e., viewing side or surface, of the display106 while still allowing light from the backlight 107 to pass through.Transflective LCD 111 is useful in a wide range of lighting conditions.For this reason, LCD 111 is frequently used where a display mustfunction in both day and night light conditions, e.g., in gas stationpump displays. Transflective displays suffer from some of the same powerconsumption problems, associated with the use of a backlight, discussedabove in regard to transmissive displays. In addition, transflectivedisplays tend to have relatively poor contrast ratios since partiallytransmissive reflector 116 must be partially transparent to let lightfrom the backlight through.

In view of the above discussion it is apparent that there is a need forimproved displays, e.g., LCD displays, which can be viewed easily in awide range of light conditions. It is desirable that at least some ofthe new displays be capable of implementation without a backlight andthe power consumption associated therewith.

From the above discussion, it is also apparent that there is a need formethods and apparatus directed to reducing the amount of power utilizedby displays which incorporate backlights.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention is directed to methods and apparatus for reducingthe amount of electrical power consumed by display devices, e.g.,transmissive and/or transreflective liquid crystal display (LCD)devices.

One feature of the present invention is directed to automaticallycontrolling the intensity of a backlight as a function of ambient, e.g.,external, light levels. In accordance with this feature of the presentinvention, the ambient light intensity at the front, e.g., viewingsurface, of an LCD is sensed using a sensor and the intensity of thebacklight is automatically adjusted as a function of the sensed lightintensity.

By adjusting backlight intensity as a function of ambient lightconditions backlight power consumption can be minimized whilemaintaining a satisfactory level of image visibility over a wide andpossibly changing range of light conditions.

Another feature of the present invention is directed to conserving powerthrough the use of ambient light which is allowed to enter a displaydevice through a non-viewing surface, e.g., the rear of a display, asopposed to the viewing surface, e.g., front of the display where thescreen is located. In one such embodiment of the present invention, atransparent window is located in a non-viewing side, e.g., the rear, ofa display device behind a liquid crystal cell.

In some embodiments a backlight is used to supplement the light receivedvia the opening in the rear of the display device. By positioning theback of the display device so that it is directed towards a natural orartificial light source found in the device's surroundings, the need fora light from a powered backlight is reduced or eliminated.

In one embodiment which utilizes a combination of a backlight andnatural light that is allowed to enter through a non-viewing surface,e.g., rear of the display device, a light sensor is included on both thefront and rear of the display device. The intensity of the backlight isautomatically controlled, as a function of the difference between thelight intensity measured at the front and rear of the display device. Inthis manner, backlight power consumption is automatically adjusted andcontrolled so that the backlight outputs the minimum amount of powerrequired to achieve a user selected degree of visibility. With suitablerear lighting, the backlight may, in such an embodiment, be turnedcompletely off.

One feature of the present invention is directed to allowing a user of adisplay device to set the brightness of the display and have that levelmaintained under a variety of light conditions without requiring furtheroperator intervention. This result is achieved in various embodiments byallowing the user of the display to set the desired brightness and thenautomatically adjusting backlight intensity, as a function of sensedlight intensity, so that the display will be perceived as having thedegree of brightness to which the display was set despite changing lightconditions.

In one embodiment, a user may select normal and power saving brightnesssettings. The power saving brightness setting is less than the normalbrightness setting, e.g., the minimal brightness which the userconsiders adequate for viewing. The user can select, e.g., via a displayswitch or software command, either of the two supported brightnesssettings. For example, when on long trips the power saving brightnesssetting may be selected while during office use, the normal brightnesssetting may be used. In accordance with the present invention theselected brightness setting is maintained as a function of one or moresensed light intensity levels. Thus, the desired brightness setting canautomatically be maintained under a wide range of light conditionswithout requiring user adjustments of brightness levels.

Numerous additional features, embodiments, and advantages of the methodsand apparatus of the present invention are set forth in the detaileddescription which follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a known reflective LCD device.

FIG. 2 illustrates a known transmissive LCD device.

FIG. 3 illustrates a known transreflective LCD device.

FIGS. 4–6 illustrate transmissive displays implemented in accordancewith the present invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates a transmissive display of the present invention whichincorporates a backlight.

FIG. 8 illustrates a transreflective display implemented in accordancewith another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 9 through 11 illustrate a portable computer incorporating adisplay implemented in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 12 illustrates a portable computer including a light sensor andintensity control circuit implemented in accordance with anotherembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 illustrates a transmissive display device of the presentinvention which includes a plurality of light sensors and an intensitycontrol circuit.

FIG. 14 illustrates a portable computer implemented using a plurality oflight sensors and an intensity control circuit.

FIG. 15 is a frontal view of the portable computer illustrated in FIG.14.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As discussed above, the present invention is directed to methods andapparatus for reducing the amount of electrical power required bydisplay devices, e.g., LCDs.

In the description which follows, for the purposes of brevity, elementswhich are the same as, or similar to one another, will be identifiedusing the same reference numerals. In addition, arrows will be used toillustrate rays of light which may be emitted by, e.g., a natural orartificial light source.

FIG. 4 illustrates a transmissive display device 200 implemented inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The display 200comprises, e.g., a transmissive display panel 206 which comprises aprotective outer layer, i.e., the screen 105, and an inner layer,implemented as a liquid crystal cell 104. A translucent diffuser 208 anddiffuse reflector 210 are positioned behind the display panel 206 in anangular arrangement to form a back portion and a bottom portion,respectively, of the display 200. Sides (not shown) coated with areflective material may be used to seal the remaining rear portion ofthe display 200 positioned behind the liquid crystal display 206. Notethat in use, a viewer represented by the eye 108 is positioned in frontof the display panel 206. The rear of the display 200 is positionedfacing the highest intensity ambient light source present, e.g., the sun202. In such an arrangement, ambient light is allowed to pass throughthe translucent diffuser 208 and is reflected by the diffuse reflector210 onto the non-viewing side, e.g., rear, of the display panel 206.

In such an arrangement, the high intensity ambient light passing throughthe display panel 206 from the rear should be greater than the amount ofambient light reflected from the viewing side, e.g., front, of thedisplay panel 206. Such an embodiment allows for viewing of the displayin high intensity sunlight and other high intensity ambient lightconditions without the need for a powered backlight. The use of thetranslucent diffuser 208 and diffuse reflector 210 help to eliminatebright spots by diffusing the ambient light before it passes through thedisplay panel 206.

It is contemplated that a wide variety of plastic and non-plasticmaterials may be used to implement the translucent diffuser 208 anddiffuse reflector 210. In one embodiment, a translucent plastic materialwas used as the translucent diffuser 208 while a white sheet of paperwas used as the diffuse reflector 210.

As will be appreciated, in portable applications it is desirable that adisplay be capable of being stored in a relatively small space.Specifically, in portable computer applications it is generallydesirable that a display be relatively thin, e.g., no more than a fewinches in thickness, and be capable of being folded down flat, e.g.,over a computer keyboard.

FIGS. 5 and 6, illustrate embodiments wherein displays 203 and 205 ofthe present invention, are implemented using hinged panels capable ofbeing folded to form a flat assembly for storage and transport purposes.

In the FIG. 5 embodiment, the diffuse reflector 210 is attached to thebottom of the display screen 206 via a first hinge 212 while the reartranslucent diffuser 208 is attached to the top of the display panel 206via a second, e.g., top, hinge 214. FIG. 5 illustrates the display 203deployed for use. When deployed, the display 203 assumes, when viewedfrom the side, a triangular shape similar to that of the display 200. Inorder to make the display 203 easy to deploy, sides which wouldotherwise be used to close off the cavity formed by the diffuser 208,diffuse reflector 210 and display panel 206 are omitted. When not inuse, the translucent diffuser 208 may be folded back on top of thedisplay panel 206 which can then lie flat against the diffuse reflector210. Alternatively, the translucent diffuser 214 can be positionedbetween the display 206 and the diffuse reflector 210 to form a flatassembly with the diffuse reflector 210 on the bottom, diffuser 208 inthe middle and the display panel 206 on top.

FIG. 6 illustrates another display 205 which can be folded flat. In thisembodiment, the second hinge 214 is eliminated and the translucentdiffuser 208 is secured directly to the back of the display panel 206. Afirst hinge 212 is located at the intersection of the bottom of thecombined display panel/diffuser assembly and the diffuse reflector 210.The first hinge 212 is used to allow the folding down of the displaypanel assembly to form a flat display for storage and/or transportationpurposes.

The displays illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 eliminate the need for abacklight through the use of ambient light for illumination purposes.However, in low light conditions, or in conditions where light isgenerally of uniform intensity in all directions, use of a supplementallight source, e.g., a backlight, may be desirable. Accordingly, the useof a backlight to supplement ambient lighting is contemplated andemployed in various embodiments of the present invention.

In various embodiments, the display panels 206 used in the FIGS. 4–6embodiments are mounted in housings which support the display panel 206and provide a point of attachment for the first hinge 212. In such anembodiment, the housing may be considered part of the display panel 206.

FIG. 7 illustrates a back lit transmissive display 302 implemented inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The display 302includes a display panel 206 behind which a backlight 207 is located.The backlight 207 is located in a housing which utilizes diffusereflectors 210 for sidewalls and a translucent diffuser 208 to close therear of the housing. The diffuse reflectors 210 act as a light pipe andserve to direct ambient light entering through the rear translucentdiffuser 208 so that it passes out through the display panel 206. Whilethe translucent diffuser 208 is illustrated directly behind the liquidcrystal display, use of the light pipe formed by the diffuse reflectors210 allows for the translucent diffuser to be positioned at variouslocations that are not necessarily located directly behind the displaypanel 206. For example, the translucent diffuser 208 may be positionedat the top of a device incorporating the display 302 or at a positionoff-set from the display panel 206.

The techniques of the present invention involving the use of ambientlight can be applied to virtually any type of device which uses abacklight. FIG. 8 illustrates a transreflective display 304 implementedin accordance with the present invention. Note how in the FIG. 8embodiment, the solid (non-translucent) rear of the knowntransreflective display 111 is replaced with translucent material 208 toproduce the display 304. In the FIG. 8 embodiment, the translucentmaterial 208 allows natural or artificial ambient light to supplement orreplace the light produced by the backlight 207.

FIG. 9 illustrates a portable computer device 400 implemented inaccordance with the present invention. The computer device includes abase portion 406 for housing a CPU, memory, a keyboard, etc, and a lidportion including first and second panel assemblies 402, 404. A hinge408 is used to connect the lid portion of the computer 400, to the baseportion 406. The hinge 408 allows the lid portion to be raised, e.g.,when the computer is in use, and lowered e.g., for storage and/or duringtransport.

FIG. 10 illustrates the computer system 400, with the lid portion in theraised position. In this position, the keyboard 407 included in the baseportion 406 is both visible and accessible to a user of the computer400.

FIG. 11 illustrates the computer system 400 arranged for use. In theFIG. 11 arrangement the upper portion of the lid 402 has been lowered toa fully open position. The upper portion 402 is positioned in FIG. 11 sothat it extends parallel to the base portion 402. The upper lid panel402 includes an inner diffuse reflector 210 and an outer protectivelayer 212 made of an opaque material. The lower panel 404 of the lidcomprises an outer diffuser panel 208 which is secured to an innerdisplay panel 206.

The upper panel 402 of the lid is positioned at an angle relative to theupper lid panel 402 so that ambient light falling on the upper lid panelwill be reflected by the diffuse reflector 210 through the diffuserpanel 208.

In order to supplement the natural illumination supplied to the rear ofthe display panel 206, in the FIG. 11 embodiment, an optional backlight410 is incorporated into the diffuser panel 208. The backlight ispositioned so that its light output is directed through the displaypanel 206 as opposed to being directed out the back.

As discussed above, minimizing power consumption by a backlight isimportant in order to prolong the amount of time a battery powereddevice can operate before the battery needs to be charged or replaced.

In most portable computer devices, backlight intensity is controlled bya user accessible control, e.g., a potentiometer. In most known computerdevices, the brightness of the backlight is fixed at the intensitydetermined by the user. As ambient light conditions change, e.g., theintensity of light impinging on the front of the display screendecreases, it may be possible to decrease the intensity of thebacklight, and thus save power, without having a substantial negativeimpact on the readability of the displayed images. Unfortunately, mostportable computer users are unwilling to manually adjust the brightnessof the display each time ambient light conditions change resulting inthe wastage of power. Power wastage occurs from setting the brightnesscontrol higher than is required so that frequent adjustments to adisplay's brightness need not be made.

The inventors of the present application recognized that by automatingall or part of the backlight intensity adjustment process, to take intoconsideration changes in ambient light conditions, power savings couldbe achieved. In accordance with one power saving feature of the presentinvention a photo-sensor is used to measure the intensity of lightimpinging on at least a portion of the front of a display screen. Theresult of this light measurement is then used to control backlightintensity. By measuring ambient light conditions and adjusting backlightintensity, e.g., at power up and/or periodically during use, theintensity of the backlight is adjusted so that it does not significantlyexceed a level required to display images in a manner deemed suitable bya user of the system. A user may indicate the desired degree of contrastbetween the incident light and the light output by a display by manuallyadjusting a brightness control. By automatically adjusting backlightintensity as a function of ambient light conditions, power savings canbe achieved. User selectable normal and power saving modes of operationare easily supported. In the power saving mode a minimal backlightintensity is maintained as a function of detected light conditions.During normal mode operation a somewhat brighter screen appearance ismaintained.

FIG. 12 illustrates a portable computer 500 implemented in accordancewith one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The portablecomputer 500 comprises a base portion 506, keyboard 507 and a hinge 508.The hinge 508 attaches a display comprising a backlight 510, diffuser509, transmissive display panel 206 and a photo-sensor 502. Thephoto-sensor 502 is mounted on the front of the display panel 206 sothat the intensity of light falling on the front of the display panel206 can be measured.

The portable computer 500, further comprises a backlight intensitycontrol circuit 503 and a brightness control circuit 504 which are usedto control the amount of power supplied to the backlight 510 and thusthe intensity of light supplied to the rear of the display panel 206.The intensity control circuit may be implemented using software routinesexecuted by a CPU included in the base portion 506. The brightnesscontrol circuit 504 may be implemented as a potentiometer which has oneterminal coupled to a power supply represented by the symbol PS andanother terminal coupled to the intensity control circuit 503. A usermay adjust the potentiometer, e.g., by turning a knob, thereby adjustingthe brightness control signal supplied to the intensity control circuit503.

The intensity control circuit 503 determines the amount of powersupplied to the backlight 510 as a function of the output of thephoto-sensor 502 and the received brightness control signal. Theintensity of the backlight 510, as a function of the photo-sensors andbrightness control outputs, is adjusted so that the perceived brightnessof the display will remain generally constant despite changes in ambientlight conditions. Accordingly, when the output of the photo-sensor 502indicates an increase in the intensity of the ambient light striking thescreen 206, the power to the backlight 510 will be increased. As theintensity of the ambient light striking the screen 206 decreases, theintensity control circuit decreases the power supplied to the backlight510 and thus the intensity of the light output therefrom. A minimumpower level is set, e.g., pre-programmed, for the backlight 510 toinsure that the display will be readable in low light conditions.

In one embodiment, even if the output of the photo-sensor 502 indicateslittle or no incident light, the intensity control circuit 503 does notlower the power output to the backlight 510 below a preselectedthreshold to insure that in dark or dimly lit conditions, images on thedisplay panel 206 will remain visible. In such an embodiment, intensitycontrol circuit 503 maintains backlight light output between a minimumthreshold level and full intensity as a function of the output of thephoto-sensor 502 and the brightness control circuit 504.

FIG. 13 illustrates a transmissive display 501 which uses natural orambient light, in accordance with the present invention, to supplementlight provided, when required, by a backlight 207. The structure of thedisplay 501 is similar to that of the display 302. However, to insureenergy efficient control of the backlight 207, the display 501 includesa front photo-sensor 502, a rear photo-sensor 512, an intensity controlcircuit 505 and a manual brightness control device 504. In the FIG. 13embodiment, the intensity control circuit 505 receives signalsindicating the amount of light shining on the rear of the display panel206 from the rear photo-sensor 512 and the amount of light shining onthe front of the display panel 502. In order to maintain the brightnessat the user selected level, indicated by the output of the controldevice 504, the intensity control circuit adjusts the amount of powersupplied to the backlight 207 so that the difference between the signalsgenerated by the front and rear photo-sensors 502, 512 remains constant,or relatively constant, despite changes in ambient light conditions.

While the rear photo-sensor is shown inside the display housing so thatit measures the light, including the light from the backlight 207,impinging on the rear of the display panel 206, it is contemplated thatthe intensity control may be performed as a function of a measurement oflight impinging on the exterior rear of the housing, e.g., on or nearthe diffuser 208. In one particular embodiment, backlight control isachieved using signals received from a front photo-sensor 502 and a rearphoto-sensor 512 positioned on the exterior of the display 501. Such anembodiment is possible since the amount of light which will be generatedby the backlight 207, given a particular power input, can be predictedwith reasonable certainty in most monitors.

FIG. 14 illustrates a portable computer system 503 which is similar inconstruction to the previously described computer system 400. Unlike thecomputer system 400, the computer system 503 includes front and reardisplay panel sensors 502, 512, a backlight intensity control circuit505 and a manual brightness control circuit 504. The various componentsoperate as described above to adjust backlight intensity as a functionof the measured intensity of ambient light incident on the rear of thedisplay panel and the measured intensity of ambient light on the frontof the display panel. In the FIG. 14 embodiment, the photo-sensor 512 ismounted on an exterior portion of transmissive diffuser 208 or on aportion of a display housing 504 (see FIG. 15) used to mount the panels206, 208. Accordingly, in such an embodiment, the photo-sensor 512detects ambient light reflected by the reflector 210 towards the rear ofthe display panel 206.

FIG. 15 is a frontal view of the computer system 503 illustrated in FIG.14. From this view, a display housing 504 used to mount the panels 206,208 and photo-sensor 502, is visible. In the FIG. 15 embodiment, thedisplay housing 504 is used to mount the front photo-sensor 502.

While the photo-sensors 502, 512 have been illustrated in some figuresas protruding from the surfaces on which they are mounted, it is to beunderstood that they may be flush mounted to facilitate folding andstorage of the display device into which they are incorporated. Inaddition, it is to be understood that the intensity control circuit 505and brightness control circuit 504 may be located internal to thehousing 406.

It should also be noted that the computer system 503 may include acentral processing unit (CPU), a memory device and various softwareroutines which are stored in the memory device and executed by the CPU.The intensity control circuit 505 may be implemented using softwarewhich controls the intensity of the backlight 510 as a function of thevarious input signals which are shown as being supplied to the intensitycontrol circuit 505. In fact, the intensity control function may beincorporated into, and/or be implemented as, operating system routinesexecuted by the CPU included in the computer 500.

While numerous exemplary embodiments of the methods and apparatus of thepresent invention have been described above, it will be apparent to oneof ordinary skill in the art, in view of the above description of theinvention, that numerous additional embodiments are possible withoutvarying from the scope of the invention.

1. A method of displaying an image using a transmissive display panelhaving a front viewing surface and a rear non-viewing surface,comprising the steps of: directing ambient light from behind thetransmissive display panel to the rear non-viewing surface of saidtransmissive display panel reflecting at least some of said ambientlight off of two or more devices forming sidewalls; and controlling thetransmissive display panel to block some of the directed ambient lightfrom passing through the transmissive display panel.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein said ambient light is a natural light source locatedexternal to the transmissive display panel.
 3. The method of claim 1,further comprising the step of: using a diffuse reflector to direct theambient light.
 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of:using a diffuser to diffuse the ambient light directed to the rearnon-viewing surface of said transmissive display panel.
 5. The method ofclaim 3, further comprising the step of: attaching the diffuse reflectorto the display panel using a hinge.
 6. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising the step of: using a backlight to supplement the ambientlight directed to the rear non-viewing surface of the display panel. 7.The method of claim 6, wherein the display panel includes at least oneliquid crystal cell.